Cuba
Playa AnaconTwo months traveling in Cuba & staying in casa particulars has given me a new insight on Cuba. It is a unique country to visit as it has had 50 yrs (2 generations) under Fidel’s brand of socialism & changes for the better in health care & education which make it the envy of the Americas however it needs some change as it has also caused some problems with a 2 class society, those who work in tourism & those who don’t.
A trip to Havana is a must as it’s filled with history & I would say a minimum 3 days to a week depending on how much a city person you are. After that just choose what you want to do & see.
The downside is that I found any one who imitates a conversation in English will end it with a request for money & that was the case 100% of the time. Another thing that gets old very fast is the people who whether you are walking down the street or trying to relax in a park that DEMAND money for no reason other than that you are a yuma with ATM written all over you. Then of course the jintera/o’s asking if you want company.
Viasul buses are a good idea & are operated professionally it’s just too bad the office staff weren’t & there was such a thing as a confirmed reservation & they followed the timetable (not leaving early or late). Also when a Viasul bus arrives at a terminal it is like feeding time at the zoo, with you as the feed, with all the jinters’s hustling CP’s & taxi’s. Out of 6500 kms travel in 8 countries Cuba was the only place where I had a single problem with bus travel!
Now my one night at Club Amigo in Guardalavaca was entirely different as the personal had their tourist happy face’s on LOL.
Will I return to Cuba? Probably but not for a while. It’s too nice here in Guatemala to leave.
Tags: Travel
busman7
your happy in Guatemala eh Dave….well you speak from experience…..2 full months traveling across the whole island I think gives you a
pretty good idea of the good the bad and the ugly of Cuba……..too bad eh……oh well……Hpw does Mexico fare in your experience?
Happy to know that you’ve found your home away from home!
muchos besos
Danika xooxox
Hi Dave, the two class society is evident. I think this really only materialized in the last 15 years or so as the tourism industry developed. In our recent visit to Varadero, I saw a side of Cuba that I hadn’t before as we had only traveled to the northern cayos before that. I can honestly say I have no interest in revisiting the Varadero area – too much of a tourist trap for me. The tourist workers in Varadero are now second generation, know the game very well and as you say, see us as walking ATMs. We only spent a day in Havana, and we now think that was enough for us – though you’re probably right about the three days. I think we’ll stick to the cayos…
Happy trails
🙂
Only problem with cayos is it’s too cool, you realy have to get down around Santiago for decent weather in Jan & Feb.
Yeah pina Guatemala has what people are looking for in Cuba!
Only problem with Mexico is it’s part of NAFTA & for at least the next 10 yrs it’s my opinion that things are not going to be good for North America but that the Central/South American aliance which will include Cuba & aligned with China, Korea etc will be where economic growth will take place. At my age 10 yrs is all I care about so I’m taking my eggs out of the Canada/US basket & putting them in the south LOL
well you’ll have a visitor to your new southern casa!!! lol
how is the old home sweet home? 😛
Maid service, cable TV, internet connection the whole 9 yards for one low price LOL.
Just catch the first big ole silver bird for Guatemala CIty, there’s always a $10 shuttle to Antigua waiting at the airport LOL
Hi Busman. Unfortunately I totally agree with you about the ATM comment. I spent a week in Havana once, as as you said, every person I met, whether at a cafe, bar or on the street ending up asking for money at some point. Very disappointing. Every conversation eventually leads to a sob story of some type. Been to Cuba many times and am starting to grow weary of this.
Sorry fish but your comment went to spam & I just found it & yeah the milk for the baby bit is getting old, heard that on my first trip in 2005